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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mug — a face
  3. drill — army training
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. drill — a practice
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. face — to confront
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. face — to point toward
  11. drill — the tool
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — an amount
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bulb — for light
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. face — part of the head
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com